Resuscitation
-
The Global Resuscitation Alliance (GRA) was established in 2015 to improve survival for Out- of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) using the best practices developed by the Seattle Resuscitation Academy. However, these 10 programs were recommended in the context of developed Emergency Care Systems (ECS). Implementing these programs can be challenging for ECS at earlier stages of development. We aimed to explore barriers faced by developing ECS and to establish pre-requisites needed. We also developed a framework by which developing ECS may use to build their emergency response capability. ⋯ In this paper, we propose a modified framework of survival for developing ECS systems. There are barriers for developing ECS systems to improve OHCA survival rates. These barriers may be overcome by systematic prioritisation and cost-effective innovative solutions.
-
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is often started irrespective of comorbidity or cause of arrest. We aimed to determine the prevalence of perception of inappropriate CPR of the last cardiac arrest encountered by clinicians working in emergency departments and out-of-hospital, factors associated with perception, and its relation to patient outcome. ⋯ The perception of inappropriate CPR increased when objective indicators of poor prognosis were present and was associated with a low survival to hospital discharge. Factoring clinical judgment into the decision to (not) attempt CPR may reduce harm inflicted by excessive resuscitation attempts.
-
Incidence and survival rates after cardiac arrest among pregnant women are reported for in-hospital cardiac arrests; the incidence and outcomes of maternal out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are unknown. Current cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidelines contain recommendations specific to this population; compliance with these has not been investigated. ⋯ The incidence of maternal OHCA was 1.71:100,000. Survival was higher after maternal OHCA than after OHCA of non-pregnant females of childbearing age. Pregnancy-specific guideline compliance was low suggesting a need for training and better documentation to improve outcomes in these rare events.
-
Editorial Comment
Debunking another CPR myth: Lay the patient flat, or head up CPR?
-
Review Meta Analysis
One-year survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
In-hospital cardiac arrest is a major adverse event with an incidence of 1-6/1000 admissions. It has been poorly researched and data on survival is limited. The outcome of interest in IHCA research is predominantly survival to discharge, however recent guidelines warrant for more long-term outcomes. In this systematic review we sought to quantitatively summarize one-year survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest. ⋯ One-year survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest is poor. Survival is higher in patients admitted to cardiac wards. The time trend between 1985-2018 has shown a modest improvement in one-year survival rates. Research into IHCA population characteristics might elicit the issue of heterogeneity and stagnated survival over the past decades.